The Braves have reported for Spring Training. The beginning of the baseball season is a momentous occasion for baseball fans. And make no mistake, for fans, the beginning of the season is absolutely in February. It has been said that there is no sweeter phrase in the English language than “pitchers and catchers report.”

With the weight of the occasion in mind, That’s Just Peachy often tries to find something that can capture that feeling. The video accompanying the photo-story from the AJC of the Braves at Spring Training is some audio of Bart Giamatti reading what may be the greatest piece of baseball writing ever. Giamatti was a Red Sox fan but also a fan of all baseball, resulting in his eventual promotion to Commissioner in 1989. There is no more beautiful summary of the baseball season than his piece “Green Fields of the Mind.” It is more of an end of season piece but its so powerful, February seems just as good.

Below you can find the text courtesy of Robert Matz, clearly a very wise English professor at George Mason University.

It is designed to break your heart.

From A Great and Glorious Game: Baseball Writings of A. Bartlett Giamatti
by A. Bartlett Giamatti, et al

“The Green Fields of the Mind ”

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops. Today, October 2, a Sunday of rain and broken branches and leaf-clogged drains and slick streets, it stopped, and summer was gone.

Somehow, the summer seemed to slip by faster this time. Maybe it wasn’t this summer, but all the summers that, in this my fortieth summer, slipped by so fast. There comes a time when every summer will have something of autumn about it. Whatever the reason, it seemed to me that I was investing more and more in baseball, making the game do more of the work that keeps time fat and slow and lazy. I was counting on the game’s deep patterns, three strikes, three outs, three times three innings, and its deepest impulse, to go out and back, to leave and to return home, to set the order of the day and to organize the daylight. I wrote a few things this last summer, this summer that did not last, nothing grand but some things, and yet that work was just camouflage. The real activity was done with the radio–not the all-seeing, all-falsifying television–and was the playing of the game in the only place it will last, the enclosed green field of the mind. There, in that warm, bright place, what the old poet called Mutability does not so quickly come.

But out here, on Sunday, October 2, where it rains all day, Dame Mutability never loses. She was in the crowd at Fenway yesterday, a gray day full of bluster and contradiction, when the Red Sox came up in the last of the ninth trailing Baltimore 8-5, while the Yankees, rain-delayed against Detroit, only needing to win one or have Boston lose one to win it all, sat in New York washing down cold cuts with beer and watching the Boston game. Boston had won two, the Yankees had lost two, and suddenly it seemed as if the whole season might go to the last day, or beyond, except here was Boston losing 8-5, while New York sat in its family room and put its feet up. Lynn, both ankles hurting now as they had in July, hits a single down the right-field line. The crowd stirs. It is on its feet. Hobson, third baseman, former Bear Bryant quarterback, strong, quiet, over 100 RBIs, goes for three breaking balls and is out. The goddess smiles and encourages her agent, a canny journeyman named Nelson Briles.

Now comes a pinch hitter, Bernie Carbo, onetime Rookie of the Year, erratic, quick, a shade too handsome, so laid-back he is always, in his soul, stretched out in the tall grass, one arm under his head, watching the clouds and laughing; now he looks over some low stuff unworthy of him and then, uncoiling, sends one out, straight on a rising line, over the center-field wall, no cheap Fenway shot, but all of it, the physics as elegant as the arc the ball describes.

New England is on its feet, roaring. The summer will not pass. Roaring, they recall the evening, late and cold, in 1975, the sixth game of the World Series, perhaps the greatest baseball game played in the last fifty years, when Carbo, loose and easy, had uncoiled to tie the game that Fisk would win. It is 8-7, one out, and school will never start, rain will never come, sun will warm the back of your neck forever. Now Bailey, picked up from the National League recently, big arms, heavy gut, experienced, new to the league and the club; he fouls off two and then, checking, tentative, a big man off balance, he pops a soft liner to the first baseman. It is suddenly darker and later, and the announcer doing the game coast to coast, a New Yorker who works for a New York television station, sounds relieved. His little world, well-lit, hot-combed, split-second-timed, had no capacity to absorb this much gritty, grainy, contrary reality.

Cox swings a bat, stretches his long arms, bends his back, the rookie from Pawtucket who broke in two weeks earlier with a record six straight hits, the kid drafted ahead of Fred Lynn, rangy, smooth, cool. The count runs two and two, Briles is cagey, nothing too good, and Cox swings, the ball beginning toward the mound and then, in a jaunty, wayward dance, skipping past Briles, feinting to the right, skimming the last of the grass, finding the dirt, moving now like some small, purposeful marine creature negotiating the green deep, easily avoiding the jagged rock of second base, traveling steady and straight now out into the dark, silent recesses of center field.

The aisles are jammed, the place is on its feet, the wrappers, the programs, the Coke cups and peanut shells, the doctrines of an afternoon; the anxieties, the things that have to be done tomorrow, the regrets about yesterday, the accumulation of a summer: all forgotten, while hope, the anchor, bites and takes hold where a moment before it seemed we would be swept out with the tide. Rice is up. Rice whom Aaron had said was the only one he’d seen with the ability to break his records. Rice the best clutch hitter on the club, with the best slugging percentage in the league. Rice, so quick and strong he once checked his swing halfway through and snapped the bat in two. Rice the Hammer of God sent to scourge the Yankees, the sound was overwhelming, fathers pounded their sons on the back, cars pulled off the road, households froze, New England exulted in its blessedness, and roared its thanks for all good things, for Rice and for a summer stretching halfway through October. Briles threw, Rice swung, and it was over. One pitch, a fly to center, and it stopped. Summer died in New England and like rain sliding off a roof, the crowd slipped out of Fenway, quickly, with only a steady murmur of concern for the drive ahead remaining of the roar. Mutability had turned the seasons and translated hope to memory once again. And, once again, she had used baseball, our best invention to stay change, to bring change on.

That is why it breaks my heart, that game–not because in New York they could win because Boston lost; in that, there is a rough justice, and a reminder to the Yankees of how slight and fragile are the circumstances that exalt one group of human beings over another. It breaks my heart because it was meant to, because it was meant to foster in me again the illusion that there was something abiding, some pattern and some impulse that could come together to make a reality that would resist the corrosion; and because, after it had fostered again that most hungered-for illusion, the game was meant to stop, and betray precisely what it promised.

Of course, there are those who learn after the first few times. They grow out of sports. And there are others who were born with the wisdom to know that nothing lasts. These are the truly tough among us, the ones who can live without illusion, or without even the hope of illusion. I am not that grown-up or up-to-date. I am a simpler creature, tied to more primitive patterns and cycles. I need to think something lasts forever, and it might as well be that state of being that is a game; it might as well be that, in a green field, in the sun.

And for some who are privileged enough to be born (or made the smart decision to move to) of New Orleanian heritage, that means getting out of town. Many places of employment give several extra days off during Carnival season and it’s often an easy time for New Orleanians to head out on vacation.

For Mrs. That’s Just Peachy, that often means skiing with her family who still live in Cajun Country. And for the first time, there is a Mr. that can tag along.

Said Mr. is a native Atlantan whose only experience skiing involved sliding and diving around an icesheet that some people called a ski slope in Gatlinburg, but he’s going to make the best of it.

Anyways, all of that is to say, let’s hope we do better than poor Goofy here but regular That’s Just Peachy updates may be a little more intermittent than usual. We really appreciate your regular reading and look forward to regular editions next week.

Qualifying is over, news articles are out and phone calls are coming in. “You registered as what?!?” “That is a very bold move!” “I’m still your friend.” “Sorry, but I can’t support you.” I have heard many things over the past couple days. Each comment is different from the last.

Why did I qualify as a Republican in a non-partisan election? The answer is simple: Sometimes you have to take a stand.

In the run-up to the qualifying, I was given many messages that essentially embodied a continued lack of support of my by the Democratic party that I served very faithfully for so long. “The party rules dictate this,” said one person. “By default we have to support the incumbent,” said another. And finally, my personal favorite: “It doesn’t matter that nothing has been accomplished. We have to follow protocol.”

While the Democrats were busy incentivizing failure, no one took the time to notice that I had begun to change the nature of my questions.

I wondered, “If blacks gained the vote under Republicans, why is being Democrat so closely identified with being African-American? How did this change occur? Who was responsible?”

Those of you who read this paper habitually will remember in my last column that I mentioned that as a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts John F. Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. (Someone with a Ph.D. recently said to me, “Only the southern Democratic party was racist.)

In all fairness to Massachusetts, it was a Texan, one Lyndon Baines Johnson, who remarked, “I’ll have these niggers voting Democratic for the next 100 years.” This quote is associated with the implementation of what was then known as “The Great Society” and is now known as “The Welfare State”.

Astonishingly, many black people continue to trade their votes for food stamps, even in an age where many of us no longer qualify for food stamps.

In a word, we aren’t getting anything

Condoleeza Rice, when speaking of why she joined the second Bush administration mentioned a phrase by George W. (who actually learned it from Michael Gerson). He referred to “the soft bigotry of low expectations”.

Much like white lies, soft bigotries are often overlooked.

Such bigotry is what I encountered within the Rockdale Democratic Party. When people noticed that I had a penchant for hard work, more work suddenly came my way. My life, which has always been dedicated to community service, became a public commodity. I didn’t mind because I truly believed that a better world could be achieved through ‘shoulder-to-the-wheel-effort’.

But it wasn’t achieved. Nothing was achieved.

I found my accomplishments appropriated by those without expertise. My time was monopolized by people who refused to return my favors. My intellect was taken for granted and oftentimes willfully ignored. The only thing that was accomplished was a profound sense of disaffection on my part.

I decided to stand for something and run for office as a Democrat in 2014.

I lost, but captured 33% of the vote in the Democratic primary. My opponent ran unopposed in the general election.

During this time I was painted as something extraordinary: a Republican in Democrat clothing. If my talent and virtue had been ignored before, now my entrepreneurialism, quasi-traditional values and sense of civic duty meant that I was really a “Red”. In this case, being “red” was much scarier than communism. It meant that I was a Republican; the scourge of the earth and the lowest of the low.

But even the dogs must eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.

Quietly, secretly, groups of so-called white racists reached out to lend their support. Republican groups told me that I should have been one of them. In a place that I had been told that I could never be accepted, someone wanted my effort. They wanted to recognize and appreciate me.

To a large extent, I have always walked alone, many times literally. I have been called many things which I will not repeat. I learned to live in my own head and to guard my heart. I forced myself to be brave. Nothing, however would prepare me to run as a black Democrat 2014. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Fast-forward to the week of September 12th.

Janice Van Ness, my current competitor, alarmed me by telling me that she was going to run for the same seat that I wanted.

I felt hurt and betrayed. Then I remembered something she said. “I didn’t want to accept the referral to your donor after I decided to run,” she had remarked in an off-hand manner.

The comment meant nothing to her, but everything to me. Janice is competent, intelligent and competitive. She builds institutions. She plays to win.

But when push came to shove she refused to be underhanded, granting me dignity, respect–dare I say ‘love’? When did I ever receive that from a competitor in my same party when running as a Democrat?

Never. In fact, each day had been worse than the one before it in the last race.

Georgia politics are rife with corruption and many people feel as though there is no hope left for them to be represented. In fact, in 2014 one Democratic political operator told me, “These races are NOT about the voters, Diane. Don’t be so naive.”

I may be new to politics, but I do know one thing: CHANGE WILL NOT COME IF THINGS CONTINUE TO GO ALONG THE WAY THEY HAVE. Something’s gotta give.

So why am I running as a Republican during a non-partisan election in a blue district? For the same reason that people have been calling me near-continuously: WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY DOING SOMETHING DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT.

In fact, we have everything to gain. Let’s try something new.

About Diane Daniels-Adoma

Mrs. Adoma was born in Bainbrige and currently lives in Lithonia. She is a proud graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She has an MBA from the University of Phoenix with an emphasis in business management and is currently writing her dissertation entitled: ‘The Correlation between Transformational Leadership Style and Employee Trust’ at Capella University. Diane and her husband are franchise owners of all the H&R Block locations in Rockdale County. Diane has 25 plus years of marketing experience with companies such as Turner Broadcasting Systems, AT&T, Qwest Communications, ING Group, MCI WorldCom and the University of Phoenix. She is also a producer and host of Adoma and Company Radio and is owner of Diane Adoma Consulting, LLC. She is running for Georgia State Senate District 43 seat.

This weekend, a “non-Georgia” piece for readers as a headline. This explanation may be unnecessary. Katrina is a big story but generally That’s Just Peachy tries to stick with just Georgia-centric stories, particularly in that top spot. This weekend however, I thought it worth taking a moment and highlighting a little bit extra. My wife is from New Orleans. My best friend from college is from there and lives there now. I have been going there on a semi-regular basis for 15 years. It is a wonderful town with more charm than any other American city and it’s really not even close. The music, the food, the “sense of place” that some folks in Atlanta are so desperate for. I can’t spend too much time writing this so I won’t really do it justice but trust me. I could relate several stories coming out of Katrina that are personal to me, or my wife especially, but I’ll just do one.

A few months after the hurricane, people were getting the chance to try to rebuild things and some of the people who had been evacuated, particularly the elderly, were finally getting to come back home. My friend, the now-lawyer, wanted to try and find a way to volunteer and asked if I and another friend wanted to join him, I said sure. He contacted a few different groups to try and see where we could help. We got a couple different things to do while we were there but one of them was to help at the house of a little lady named Ms. Peters. She had been evacuated and had only recently been able to come back. In the time she was gone, a neighborhood guy, probably 40-ish, nice enough but an occasional crack-smoker and, thus, kind of crazy, had been watching over her house and living there. There were trash bags piled in her kitchen and the place was just generally a mess. Anyways, another elderly couple who had been evacuated to Oklahoma or wherever who had not yet returned worked out something with the charity to live at her house when they came back in town. The husband however was in a wheel chair. We were supposed to build a ramp for them so they could get in and out of Ms. Peters’ house.

One problem. None of us are carpenters per se and her property definitely did not have space for an ADA-approved wheelchair ramp. But we were going to do the best we could. We went to the very busy Home Depot and got wood and supplies and spent the next few days working on that ramp and helping her with other things around the house. We would spend all day with her. We took her to lunch and brought her food at other times. She was a cute, little old lady and was a real New Orleanian. They don’t make too many like her anymore. She had such a great attitude and was so nice and funny. She told us about the neighborhood and all the places she liked to go. The same places she’d been going to for decades. All she knew was New Orleans really. And all she knew when she got back from being evacuated was a wrecked neighborhood and this crackhead guy who was a total nut but who had helped her somewhat as her home was still standing and not looted. We finished the ramp and a railing on her front stairs and some other things and had to go on to the next thing which was handing out food in St. Bernard’s Parish which had been totally obliterated.

In the end, they didn’t even end up using that wheelchair ramp. The ramp was likely too steep (there just wasn’t room in her tiny little backyard for the grade needed) and the house likely too cramped to move a wheelchair around in. Who knows why they didn’t come. But it didn’t really matter. For a few days, we were able to hang out with and provide a little laughter into a pretty grim period for a little lady who didn’t have much else. I don’t know what happened to Ms. Peters’ after that. We didn’t have her contact info. This was before I knew the city like I do now and I don’t really remember where we were. We used a map. This was before everyone had a cell phones. I’d like to track her down but it’s not that easy. I think of her fairly often though. Whether or not she ever thinks of us or even remembers us, I like to think we brightened her days just a little bit.

This was us:

If you hear a story come on the news about Katrina (or see one on your favorite website * wink wink*), it can be easy to just click ahead thinking you’re tired of hearing about it or have heard everything about it. I encourage you though to pause for a second and think about what it would be like if the entire city of Atlanta were emptied. The actual City of Atlanta is comparable in size to the size of pre-Katrina New Orleans. Imagine if Buckhead and Reynoldstown were empty. And then imagine most of it was flooded. The Varsity had 10 feet of water in it. Souper Jenny’s had a car slam into it during the flooding and was mostly gone. Every house in Garden Hills had 6 feet of toxic sludge inside it and they all had to be completely rehabbed and were in unlivable.

That’s a little bit what it would have been like. With that in mind, read the stories, watch the news and maybe get a little better understanding.

President Barack Obama’s nomination of DeKalb County State Court Judge Dax Lopez to be a federal district court judge — subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate– is causing a stir in Republican and conservative circles. On last Sunday’s Fox5Atlanta “Georgia Gang” broadcast, for example, host Dick Williams asserted that Lopez’s board membership on the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) “and its extreme positions on open borders is problematic and has to be answered.”

It is laughable that Lopez is being packaged as somehow being a “Republican,” as evidenced by the headline over a fawning August 3 Daily Report article: “As a Latino Republican, Federal Judge Nominee has Bipartisan Connections.” It’s time for a reality check. Just consider the radical positions of the illegal alien lobby group that Lopez has presided over since 2004 (positions opposed by most Republicans in Georgia, by the way). Note that, according to its website, GALEO:

Supports amnesty for illegal aliens.

Lobbied against Georgia sheriffs’ cooperation with federal immigration control officials and even commended the Fulton County sheriff for not cooperating with Immigration and Control Enforcement officials.

Fought the state voter identification law.

Denounces the state’s official English-in-government law.

Supports in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

Opposed passage of the 2011 Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act (which passed both houses of the General Assembly by large majorities).

We’re off getting hitched in New Orleans. We appreciate your patience. Don’t bother checking for news elsewhere, we’re sure nothing is happening as the country celebrates the marriage of a couple of folks in New Orleans. We’ll return with a vengeance a couple days before the eyes of the nation turn to Athens, Georgia for a presidential candidate cattle call, and oh yeah, a convention of the majority party in Georgia.

We sincerely appreciate your loyal readership and look forward to providing you with great Georgia news in the coming year! This is a fun thing we do and we hope it’s informative and fun for you as well. Thanks for all your support and let’s keep working to make the best Georgia we can!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) committed to supporting voters throughout Georgia and across the country by serving as an original co-sponsor to H.R. 12, the Voter Empowerment Act of 2015. The bill would extend greater access to citizens at the ballot box, and would more effectively protect voter rights.

“By enhancing voter participation, this bill reflects the true character of the nation, holding leaders more directly accountable to the populations they represent,” said Congressman Bishop. “Modernizing voter registration will improve the integrity of the election system and, during this 50th anniversary of the monumental Voting Rights Act, will serve to advance the mission of equal rights for all Americans.”

“Even if the days of poll taxes, literacy tests, and brutal physical intimidation are behind us, disenfranchisement tactics that aim to suppress voter participation are alive and well. The Voter Empowerment Act eliminates such divisive barriers separating voters from the ballot box and takes advantage of modern technology to bring our elections into the 21st Century,” concluded Bishop.

Introduced by Congressmen John Lewis (GA), James Clyburn (SC), Steny Hoyer (MD), John Conyers (MI), and Robert Brady (PA), the Voter Empowerment Act draws support from dozens of Members of Congress, House Caucuses and civil rights advocacy groups. Among other important provisions, the Act would enable same-day voter registration, create a national voter protection hotline, and establish mandatory paper trail and voting machine standards. It would also allow online voter registration, expand early voting, ensure the equitable allocation of polling place resources, and prohibit voter caging and other deceptive practices that deter people from exercising their constitutional right to vote.

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For more updates from Washington and the Gold Dome, don’t forget to check out our main site: thatsjustpeachy.com

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S.Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) today issued the following statement after voting in favor of the House-passed FY2016 budget resolution, H. Con. Res. 27, which balances in less than 10 years, includes meaningful spending cuts, and promotes greater economic opportunity for hardworking Americans and future generations.

“I believe a balanced budget is the first step towards restoring fiscal responsibility in Washington and putting our country on the right track. That’s why one of my first acts in Congress was to cosponsor a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution, and that’s why I supported the House Republican budget resolution today. This budget plan takes action to rein in government spending and address our nation’s unacceptable debt crisis. Unlike the President’s budget, which never balances despite $2 trillion in tax increases, this plan will balance the budget in less than 10 years without a single tax increase.

“The House budget eases burdens on American families and businesses by fully repealing ObamaCare and promoting a simpler, fairer tax code. I’m also pleased by provisions in this budget that bolster defense spending to train and equip our men and women in uniform and protect our national defense.

“I thank House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price for his leadership on this plan to help hardworking Americans today and strengthen our economy for the future. With the great economic challenges our country faces, it’s imperative we make the difficult budgetary decisions now to ensure opportunity for our children and grandchildren. This budget moves our country in the right direction and builds a stronger economy that empowers the American people rather than Washington, D.C.”

The House FY2016 Budget Resolution includes key provisions to:

Balance the budget in less than 10 years without raising taxes

Cut $5.5 trillion in government spending – the most significant spending reduction included in a House Budget Committee proposal

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) today voted in support of A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, the House Republican budget for the coming year. The proposal would balance the budget in less than 10 years without raising taxes in contrast to the budget proposal put forward by the Obama Administration which never balances despite $2.1 trillion in new taxes.

“Our national debt is the single biggest threat to our national security and, unchecked, threatens to leave future generations to a life indebted to China,” Carter said. “It is time for Washington to balance its budget just like working families, small businesses, and states, counties, and municipalities do every day. Our budget focuses on accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness across the federal government and on empowering states to implement their own solutions free of Washington’s overregulation.”

“A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America repeals Obamacare in full, provides the foundation for a strong economy by simplifying our antiquated tax code, works to keep our nation safe while providing for the brave men and women who protect us, and saves vital programs like Medicare. Hardworking taxpayers deserve a budget that enacts true reforms and this budget is the right path to create a better America for our children and grandchildren.”

Key provisions of A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America include:

balancing the budget in less than 10 years without raising taxes;

cutting $5.5 trillion in spending;

repealing Obamacare in full – including all its taxes, regulations, and mandates;

providing for a strong national defense through robust funding of troop training, equipment and compensation;

strengthening Medicare by making structural improvements to save the program; and

promoting innovation and flexibility for Medicaid, nutrition assistance, education and other programs by empowering states.

In addition to A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, Carter voted in support of the budget proposal put forward by the Republican Study Committee which would balance the budget in six years, reduce discretionary spending, reform Medicare, repeal Obamacare, and enact tax reform.

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For more updates from Washington & the Gold Dome, don’t forget to check our main site: thatsjustpeachy.com

A letter to the Editor from Conrad Quagliaroli of the Cherokee Tea Party Patriots:

Dear Editor:

In my opinion, the REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS TWO YEARS TO LIVE! On the subject of defunding President Obama’s executive order on immigration (in his words, “changing the law”), after he himself stated on twenty-two different occasions, that the Constitution did not give him that power, the Republicans capitulated…again.

I became involved in politics because of the bold Contract with America presented by the Republicans in 1994. Since that time, the Republicans have done little to advance the Conservative Cause. In 1998 (just five years after their “revolution”) they produced an Omnibus Spending Bill filled with pork. The Bush administration doubled our national debt to 10 trillion dollars, in 2010 they promised to cut $100 billion out of the budget but didn’t, they claimed they wanted to repeal Obamacare but can’t even cut its funding, which is well within their ability and last year, the Republicans in Congress (with the help of eager Democrats) produced a pork filled Cromnibus Bill. And just now, broke their promise to defund, what THEY said, was President Obamas’ illegal executive order.

The Republicans in Washington have become a joke. The Democrats use them as punching bags and outsmart them at every turn. Observing them is like watching your favorite professional football team fumble the ball EVERY time they get it. After a while you are compelled by frustration, to jump up and say; “for Heavens’ sakes, hold on to the ball, I can do better than that!”

Conservative Republicans back home are getting, tired, angry and frustrated with the broken promises and cowardice of Washington Republicans. This is like Lucy and the football, over and over again. After a while, you begin to feel a little foolish rooting and voting for, what is generally considered the “Stupid Party.” And if the Republicans don’t do something bold in the next two years and continue to be “too stupid to explain their positons and too cowardly to defend them” I believe in 2016, twenty million people are going to give up on them and join the four million who did not bother to vote in 2012.